Eagles juggle lineup once again

PHILADELPHIA – It’s nothing new for the Eagles to fly down to Tampa with issues at safety.

Six years ago they stripped strong safety Michael Lewis of his starting job and gave it to Sean Considine.

In apocalyptic style, the Eagles were beaten by the Buccaneers, 23-21, on a 62-yard field goal by Matt Bryant as time expired. The Eagles needed a storybook relief effort by quarterback Jeff Garcia to reach the playoffs.

Barring a dramatic recovery by Kurt Coleman, unable to practice due to a sternum injury, the Eagles will try their fourth different starting safety of this season when they take on the Bucs Sunday.

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With long hair and a contemporary build, Colt Anderson (5-10, 194) looks less like a free safety than the guy who helps load your car with the stuff you buy at The Home Depot.

Anderson isn’t going to beat Vincent Jackson (6-5, 230) or Mike Williams (6-1 1-2, 212) in a foot race, much less out-leap them when quarterback Josh Freeman throws the fade.

But if Eagles defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is on point, Anderson will let the Bucs know he’s there. That means being there.

“Colt is extremely smart, highly competitive and highly intelligent,” Bowles said Thursday. “And he’s tougher than he looks. He’s not rocked-up and built like a 220-pound guy. But you can see him attack on special teams and you can see how intelligent he is, the way he plays the ball game.”

If the Eagles are to win another game for head coach Andy Reid, who’s on the hot seat with an eight-game losing streak, they’re going to have to play smarter in the secondary.

In six games under Bowles the Eagles have allowed an average of 32.5 points. The opposition has completed 76.3 percent of its passes, averaged 255 passing yards and produced 16 touchdown passes. Most of those TDs came much too easily.

Equally striking is that while the opposition has thrown pass after pass after pass, the Eagles haven’t been able to intercept one stinking throw.

Coleman and safety partner Nate Allen have been at the scene of those crimes repeatedly. Allen’s play has tailed off to the point where he’s been hard to find in the locker room. Coaches almost daily are asked what happened to his confidence.

Anderson isn’t going to burst onto the scene like Troy Polamalu, the NFL player he unabashedly idolizes.

But when Jackson or Williams go back shoulder for a fade, or when rookie running back Doug Martin (5-9, 223) and tight end Dallas Clark test the middle they’re going to get acquainted with Anderson, who almost certainly will make his third NFL start.

“It’s a big opportunity,” said Anderson, who also expects to play a big role on special teams. “Obviously as a player in the NFL you want every opportunity you can. And playing defense is a big opportunity for myself. I’ve been predominantly a special teams player and I’m looking forward to this challenge.”

The Considine change just didn’t work out partly because he suffered an injury. Anderson, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, knows what happened to Considine, having watched him play special teams for the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season.

As for Lewis, he’s out of the league. So is Brian Dawkins, who teamed with Lewis that fateful day in Tampa.